


Wicked Arts

by Kafi



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, High School, Red Romance, Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-11 00:21:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1166369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kafi/pseuds/Kafi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when shy, anxiety-ridden reader is forced preyed upon by one of the more popular guys at her school? Multiple panic attacks and conflicted feelings, that's what.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, so I'm kinda nervous posting it here. I hope you enjoy!

<Introduction>

 

You are _____ _____.

 

You are are a 16 year old artist. Not particularly fond of the stress of keeping a multitude of friends, you tend not to make them often. In fact, you haven't made any new ones in years it seems. You're accustomed to the monotony of your daily life, accepting and embracing your knack for being invisible to nearly everyone. You seek solace in your solitude, and in that solitude you show your true self, leaving others painfully unaware of your sanguinity. 

 

You are about to be pushed far, far out of your comfort zone.

 

</Introduction>

 

“Dave Strider”

 

The name was flying off everyone's lips. You knew not who this strange man was, or why almost everyone who identified as female was infatuated with him. You sighed and brushed your hair away from your face to take a bite of your sandwich. You were at your school, high school to be exact. Junior year wouldn't go fast enough.

 

Placing the rest of your sandwich back into your lunchbox, you glanced around. You ate in the courtyard because it was warm enough, and the air was fresh. Unfortunately, most people- well, _girls_ had the same idea. Let's just say you hate everybody equally. 

 

 

You sat and let breeze tussle your hair as you started doodling in your sketchbook. The table you sat at was empty; none of your friends had the same lunch period as you did. Seldom others listened to you rambling anyway, you were always much more of a listener, a good listener. As such, you tended to eavesdrop pretty frequently. You picked up fragments of conversation over the rustling of the leaves in the wind.

 

“I wonder who Dave will ask to homecoming-”

 

“-Is he even going?”

 

“I bet he'll ask Chelsea-”

 

“-Sadly, I'll have to agree with you”

 

“Maybe he's going to ask Hannah-”

 

“No! They wouldn't work out-”

 

You decided to pull back from the conversation, with good reason, as it slowly spiraled into arguments. Why must people always try to wiggle their way into others' romantic lives? Seems shallow, pathetic really, and kind of annoying. Especially when they fight over assumptions not based on fact. You digress. 

 

Why were they talking about homecoming anyway? It wasn't until late October and it's still august! You weren't planning on going. You didn't get the hype. No one would ask you, with good reason. 

 

You started to pack up, neatly placing everything but your sketchbook into your bag. With a sigh you left the courtyard, leaving the lunch bell and the late summer sun in your wake.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

 

You arrived at your pre-calculous class with a straight face. This was your least favorite room only because of the air conditioning, it was the coldest of all your classes. You've always disliked the way schools cranked up the AC. It was nonsense! You enjoyed the cool, as autumn was your favorite solstice, but everyone was wearing summer clothes. What are they trying to do, freeze you to death?

 

Instead of sitting in the seat you claimed a few days ago, you peeked around the crowd of people forming at one of the desks. Assigned seats. Great.

 

Your eyes glanced over the seating chart several times before you found your seat, and someone else. Your breath hitched softly and you bit your lip. The rest of the semester was going to be awkward, because your teacher had placed you next to Dave Strider. You didn't even know the guy was in your class. You sauntered to your new seat at the back of the room, knowing that your interactions with this boy would have to stay brief and controlled to stay out of any drama.

 

After a few fleeting moments, Dave took his seat next to you. Your gaze wandered over him, examining him. He donned a pair of aviators, a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. You don't know why you were expecting something different.

 

He took notice of your inspection and nodded with a simple “Yo, sup?”

 

You nodded back. “Hi.”

 

You stared at your lap, probing your mind nervously for a non-awkward way to introduce yourself. Something like this, meeting anyone new, had not occurred in a long time. On impulse, you turned to him in your seat again.

 

“I'm _____, and you are?” Damn it, why did you ask for his name when you knew what it was? On second thought, maybe that was a good call. Making it known that you knew his name would seem creepy. Good call _____, good call.

 

He threatened to smile. Perhaps because you were one of the few people who didn't know of him.

 

“Dave,” he responded. You had to admit, he had a nice voice.

 

Without thinking you held out your hand for a handshake.

 

“Nice to meet you, Dave.” 

 

You retracted your hand as fast as you held it out, a blush making its presence known on your cheeks. He held out his hand soon after. A smile and another pair of nods were exchanged as you shook his hand.

 

Surprisingly, that interaction only lasted a few short minutes. It felt like hours. It was going to be a long period.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

 

Your exchanges with Dave were brief, and over the next couple of weeks they followed a pattern much like the first. You were beginning to understand what made everyone else want him, he was pretty fine. You liked him in the platonic way, and you actually started to enjoy the 50 minutes you had with him each day.

 

However, you knew things couldn't progress from that point. Any farther into the inviting friendship with that boy would probably result in a large amount of drama and pain. You were not going to let that happen to you again. Luckily, that decision was not up to you.

 

 

One warm late September day, you were sitting under one of the trees in the courtyard eating lunch. Your usual table had been taken earlier that week. Later, you had decided it had been selfish for you to take it; it was a table to seat at least five and you were only one. 

 

You neglected to bring a lunch that day, so you mostly listened to music and sketched. Your little art session was interrupted by the owner of the shadow that covered your lower half. Confused, you glanced up- the owner was a black haired male with glasses. You shot him a quizzical and somewhat annoyed look.

 

“Hey, your friend noticed you were sitting alone out here. Wanna come sit with us? We've got a table inside-”

 

You cut him off. “I'd rather not, sorry. I don't even know who you or your friend are.”

 

He shrugged and turned on his heel, returning to his table inside. Your eyes followed him, but weren't able to track him as he went inside; there was too much of a glare. You drew your hood up and around your neck, then looked down at your now-shaking arms.

 

You had removed the sleeves from your hoodie long ago so you could wear it during the summer as a dress. It was worn from it's near daily use. It was less of a fashion item and more of a comfort item to you now. However, it gave you a nice view of your shivering arms. 

 

You were nervous, anxious really, and had them resting on your legs and sketchbook. As you pulled your knees up to your chest your mind wandered again. You were lost in a sea of thoughts and took to scruitinizing the pattern in your leggings to calm and quell your head.

 

<Dave's POV>

 

I was sitting at my usual table with John, and he was telling me about his headcanon for one of his weird movies. I was only half listening, though, because that's some freaky bullshit. I halfheartedly turned my gaze to the courtyard.

 

“Are you listening? Dave? Dave!” I turned back to John who was grinning like the dork he is. “Who are you preying on this time? The girl under the tree?”

 

“What? No-” I turned and looked back out to the courtyard. There was a girl sitting at the base of one of the trees. Wait, was that the girl from my pre-calc class?

 

“Daaaave!” John jeered.

 

“She's in my pre-calc. Dunno why she's sitting alone, though.” I shrugged and took a sip of my apple juice. John knows me way too well; it'd be impossible to hide something from him for long.

 

“Dave scopes out his next victim! Hey, why don't you ask her to sit with us? I don't see why she couldn't.”

 

A force of habit, I shrugged again while allowing my eyes to return to her. John took this as an open invitation to invite her for me. I watched his feeble attempt from afar, preparing a snide comment for when he returned.

 

 

When John did get back to the table, I chuckled at him.

 

“What smooth line did you lay on her? I bet she was just begging to come sit with us.”

 

“I only asked if she wanted to sit with us. She said no, so I left her alone.”

 

“Let me show you how it's done.” I got up and headed out for my attempt.

 

She was sitting there hugging her knees. Her hair was pinned back on her right side, exposing her ear to the afternoon sun. She donned an ear cuff and earrings. The left side of her face was covered slightly by her hair. She looked.. attractive, to say the least.

 

 

</Dave's POV>

<Your POV>

 

Your mind was racing. That kid had noticed you were sitting there. There must be other kids, no, _boys_ at his table. Are they talking about you? Have they been talking about you all this time? Who was that guys friend? Why did they choose now to talk to you? Involuntarily, you swallowed to allay the burning in the back of your throat, as another shadow interrupted you. It was Dave.

 

“Yo. What are you doing out here by yourself?”

 

Of course, you paused. How would you respond to a question like that without making a fool of yourself? Naturally you got nervous, as you picked up on everyone's sideways glances at you. Seconds feel like hours when you feel around 50 of your peer's gazes burning nasty words into your forehead. Dave sure had quite the fanbase..

 

“Stuff.” Perhaps your answer was too cold? He sighed and held out a hand.

 

“Come on, you're sitting with me.” 

 

Not wanting to make a scene, you took his hand and he helped you up. Your hands were shaking worse than ever as you grabbed your things and followed him inside. Not wanting to acknowledge how many people were watching you both, you focused on Dave. His gait was pretty intriguing.

 

He walked like he didn't care about anything. It was not fast, but not slow either. Seemed pretty relaxed, with his hands in his pockets. You could smell his cologne too. It was intoxicating. He stopped; you were at his table. You failed to notice this and bumped into him. Good job, _____.

 

“Sorry about that. I-I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry.” You directed your embarrassed gaze downward and hid behind him. He nodded back at you. Was he picking up on your noticible lack of social skills or was he just being polite?

 

“It's okay,” he turned back to introduce me. “John, this is _____. _____ this is John.”

 

You stepped around Dave and took a seat. A pang of regret hit like a ton of bricks when you noticed John was the first one to invite you to sit with them.

 

“Hi John.” You held out your still-quivering hand for a handshake, voluntarily this time. 

 

“Hey, _____!” John shook your hand as Dave took his seat next to you.

 

You doodled the entire time while they were continuing their prior conversation, hoping that no one else would take note of your existence. In return, you decided not to tune into their chat. 

 

You were too busy for that anyway. Busy getting lost in the scent of Dave's cologne. Your eyesight blurred and your anxieties numbed and you started to realize.. you was starting to fall for Strider. Or, maybe just his cologne. Hopefully, he wouldn't take notice. 

 

He would.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the week went similar to that. Since your previous table had been snatched, you were forced to sit with him and John every day. You'd been ambushed by him each time you attempted to go back to your tree-seat. Or, rather, your re-tree-t. You make a mental note to write that pun down and slap yourself for it later.

Anyway, your pre-calc class wasn't getting any easier. Since you were hopeless at figuring out matrices and rational zeros, you had to ask Dave for help. He was the only one you kind of knew about in that class. At least you knew how to ask in the most discrete ways. You hoped he didn't think you were stupid.

Also, your name was getting around the school. For the first time people looked at you in the hallways, not through you. You were.. pretty unsure if that was good or bad, to be honest. It was simply different.

Today was finally Saturday. You were up on the roof of your apartment. The streets below were packed with cars as it was late in the evening, around rush hour. Despite the noise, you decided to indulge in one of your favorite hobbies to loosen up and avoid thinking about the Strider that had been plaguing your mind.

You were setting up your telescope in your pajamas. This was a spur of the moment idea, so you figured it wouldn't be too bad to be comfortable. You needed some comfort; sitting with someone of a high social status was tiring, even if you uttered nary a peep. 

There was a full moon and no clouds, perfect for stargazing. Sadly, because of the city setting, not many stars were visible. The moon would have to be your main and only focus tonight. Times like these are why you sometimes longed for rural living. Cleaner air and darker skies.

 

As you were wiping of the lens of your telescope you struggled to repress the urge to sing. You weren't very good, novice at best. No one could hear you from up there and over the city noises, right? You gave up the fight and allowed yourself to hum for a bit, while angling the telescope at the moon.

It didn't take long for you to break out in song; there had been a tune stuck on replay in your head for weeks! In an outburst of your radical theatrics, you fell comically onto your back while singing your heart out. You faltered on some of the lyrics but what did you care? It was only you, the moon, and- oh.. 

You realize you forgot to take out one thing. Carefully you extract your pet leopard gecko, Lemonsnout from your pocket. Fear not, you landed on your butt, and he had ample room in your large pajama pocket. No lizards were harmed in your ludicrous display.

It chirped in response to you placing it on your belly, and then it scampered around for a bit. You had to carry Lemon around because its brother, Pumpkinsniffle, did not get along well.

Your attention turned to your telescope. Come off it, you were never going to use the thing anyway. The only reason you brought it up was to see the stars, or lack thereof. It is almost completely useless for looking at the moon! You should have thought that through.

Frankly, you were at peace up there, singing your favorite songs at the top of your lungs to your dear pet Lemonsnout, until you heard the door creak open. Immediately you froze there, cuddling with your gecko. Your attention snapped to the direction of the sound to find who was there.

 

It was.. Dave?

 

 

I was chilling at my place as usual. John was pestering me for help with his trig, I always helped him out, but we ended up just talking about other stuff. 

\-- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 20:18 --

EB: you're soooooooo lucky you're good at math.  
TG: is it really luck though?  
TG: hate to break it to you but i dont need luck to understand numbers and letters  
TG: maybe youd be better at it if you upgraded your fetch modus   
EB: hey! i like the way it is thank you.  
EB: at least im comfortable with my romantic life  
EB: rose and i are doing great  
EB: what about you and _____?  
TG: for the last time me and _____ have nothing going on  
TG: she didnt even know i existed before now  
EB: i dunno i just figured it's the pattern of you going out with girls.  
EB: you had that look when you were staring at her from the lunchroom.  
EB: you didn't think i couldn't see you straining to stay cool at our table did you??  
EB: dude it was so obvious. she would have noticed too if she wasn't so absorbed in her drawings. she was blushing though.  
TG: was she?  
TG: i mean its not like i care or anything  
TG: just wondering  
EB: yes.  
EB: i gotta go. talk to you later!

\-- ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 20:31 –

I always hated when John catches on. He probably would've teased me about it for a while. I was slightly relieved that he logged off. I took this chance to get a shower. As I entered my bathroom, I took off my shirt. It was pretty humid so I opened the window. Bro probably took a shower already. 

My shades were on the counter; I wouldn't need them to take a shower. I looked up at the reflection in my mirror and my crimson eyes stared back at me. Girls go crazy for them. Why they flip over such inane bullshit is unknown to me. With a sigh I turned on the faucet and splashed some water on my face. When I turned to dry off, I heard.. someone singing from the roof?

Who the fuck sings at 8:30 at night? I could understand dropping beats, but singing? On the roof? Sounds like Rapunzel type shit. There was no way I could avoid investigating, because this situation was heavy with irony. I left my room and ascended the stairs.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

 

I was at the door to the roof when I realized I was shirtless. God fucking damnit Dave, how the hell do you forget to put on a damn shirt?

Oh well. At least she wouldn't mind it. I could always cover my rock hard mantits with some of my sick beats if shit ever got heavy. Who could decline an ice cold cup of my flow-juice topped off with some Dave chest? No one, thats who.

 

So I pushed open the door, right, and majestic dick of irony gave me the hardest zwaffle of my satirical life. There is a small chance I could have looked really fucking uncool. 

That chick from my calc class, whats her name, _____? Yeah. Well. She was on the roof of my apartment building. With a fucking lizard or something. In her pajamas. Like she was having a damn slumber party on my roof or something.

How did she know I lived here? Matter of fact, how did she know my weakness to ironic situations? This creepy stalker shit needed more investigating. 

 

I was about to say something but she spooked. Not like, 'oh someone walked in on me' spooked. She 'holy shit the fucking apocalypse is coming out of my rectum' spooked. She Luigi spooked. She shoved her lizard thing into her pocket and tried to hide behind some air vents. I would have missed it if I'd blinked.

I was forced to act on this situation as slowly as possible. This was like some fucked up off brand version of Operation where I'm the doctor and she's the patient except all her bones and shit were fucking transparent.

 

It was easy for me to get over there without being noticed. The only one I couldn't sneak up on was my bro. The problem was, how to engage without spooking her to the point of absconding. I decided to talk to her without showing my face first.

I had climbed up the air vent and gotten comfortable before calling out to her.

“_____?”

 

This had better work.

 

As soon as you could make out his frame, you bolted. Why did he know where you lived? Why was he shirtless? And, the question you found most important at the moment; why the hell was he up on the roof at this hour?

 

The choice between 'fight' or 'flight' was easy. You quickly placed Lemonsnout back in your pocket, making sure not to hurt it, before dashing behind the conviently placed air vents. 

Your heart and mind were racing each other; who could go the fastest without you passing out? Your airway tightened up. The sting of tears was hard to stifle but you managed, just barely. In contrast, your mental pains were not as easily mollified. The wall you had kept up to keep out most of your anxieties was just torn painfully to the ground.

 

What if he was planning this from the start? What if he knew you lived here all along, and set up some cameras just so he could record you and make fun of you? Isn't that what popular people do? Hunt down those who secretly coveted their fame and humiliate them? You realized you didn't really know popular people that well. They have more to them than just rolling around in their social status... don't they?

Your daze was cut short as you heard him call out for you.

 

“_____?”

“D-Dave..?” Your voice wavered, threatening to reveal your distressed state.

“What were you doing up here?” You managed to pick up on the fact that his voice sounded close. This doesn't make you feel any better; you end up looking around and choking up more. In a final desperate attempt to calm the fuck down, you take out Lemonsnout and cuddle it. 

“_____? Look, I'm not gonna hurt you or anything.” A soft 'thud' and the sound of sneakers on cement were heard, though he was still nowhere to be seen. 

“_____, I just want to talk. I'm on your left.” You look to your left and notice his shadow.

“Dave?” You felt stupid for repeating yourself, but that's the only word, name, you could produce.

“Yes, it's me, Dave.” He sighed, exasperated. You figured he must be struggling to calm you down. You'd have to apologize to him later for all this.

 

He slowly peeked around the edge of the air vents, revealing his naked face and chest. You started to calm considerably as he crouched down beside your shaking frame. Strangely enough, your mind slowed while your heartbeat quickened.

You were caught between your thoughts. You knew for sure that this was bad. Bad, bad, bad. Don't get involved with him, You don't want to. But you did, oh so badly. This was so bad that it was good. It was amazing. 

His gaze locked onto yours and your jaw slackened. You were left drowning in his ruby red eyes. It was bad enough that his eyes were so damn memorizing. But, their strength tripled, and the moonlight reflecting off of them was the multiplier.

 

After a few heated moments you snapped. Your jaw tightened, your brow furrowed, and your gaze snapped away. No, not today. You know better. This is a trap, obviously. A ploy. Why else would he come to your apartment building shirtless of all things. No one in their right mind would come up here for you. 

“Sorry..” You trailed off, unsure of how to explain your behavior. No longer barely breathing and about to cry, you were able to use a bit more of your vocabulary.

 

For a split second, you swear you could see him get hit with a pang of sympathy, but you weren't sure. You weren't really sure of much right now. 

“Well, hey, I guess.” He sounded unsure of himself. You didn't blame him. You were one in the same. 

The only appropriate response you could think of was to extend your hand for a handshake. Pitiful, you knew, but it was easier than talking. 

 

To your relief, he shook your hand. It was different than the first time, in pre-calc. It seemed more apprehensive. It was as if he realized that your hand was more than just an object, but something that could be broken if mistreated enough. His hold on your hand was firm but soft. Secure. 

 

You found the courage to speak just as he started to.

 

You both spoke the same phrase at the same time.

 

“What are you doing on my roof?”


	3. Chapter 3

Okay. She lives here too. Not that shocking. Why was I even surprised about that? I don't know if I could trust that though. 

“If you live here, what floor do you live on?” I knew good and well that this apartment building was only 15 floors. Any number higher would be absolute bullshit.

“Um.. 14.. I live in room 1405 on floor 14.” She paused, looking down at her freaky lizard thing. Was she mumbling something? I strained to hear her. 

“What floor do you live on?” Her question was fair. Though, it sounded like she forced herself to ask. 

“Floor 13. Room 1305. Why?”

She started looking like she was gonna spook again. Eyes wide, like a deer about to be mutilated by some Mac truck. Man, what was up with this chick?

 

“You're the one living right below me?!” Ouch. She said it like the people living below her were asshats. My bro and I weren't that loud.

“Uh, yeah.”

“How do you go about making so much noise? Especially when it gets so damn late!”

“I don't make noise. I make music. There's a difference.”

“Whatever.. Sorry..”

 

A warm breeze blew through my hair and her's. It prompted me to sit next to her. You know, for further questioning. She seemed about ready to clam up. I was not about to let that happen. 

“How long have you lived here?”

Her attention was on her scaled little buddy. She watched as it ran along her hands and back, adoring it. Just plain weird. I don't know how anyone could love those creepy things. Finally, she responded after I asked again. 

“Oh, um.. Since that one drug bust. The one that happened a while back.”

I knew that drug bust. Someone on one of the lower floors was a drug dealer. One of their neighbors found out or something and called the cops. I didn't blame them.

That was way back, when my bro was first starting to strife with me. How old was I? 8? Damn.

“So. You were here for that one time someone set off the damn fire alarm?” 

She nodded. I nodded back.

 

She'd closed herself off. I'd have to ask about her singing later. It'd have to wait. Like a middle aged woman waiting for the next episode of her lame ass lifetime flick. 

Instead of pressing the issue, I leaned back on the air vent with her, hands behind my head. This would have looked way more cool if I had my shades. Every now and then I'd glance at her, but she was still looking down at her lizard. Eventually I just turned my sights to the sky.

I wasn't really used to fighting for someone's attention like this. Might as well just wait there until she speaks.

 

You could not believe this was happening. There was the hot, popular guy that most girls wanted, shirtless and on your rooftop. Yet there you were, barely giving him the time of day. Er.. Or night. It shouldn't be called 'ignoring' him, because you were listening to him. Only, you decided not to say anything. 

Lemonsnout chirped as you stifled a yawn. A blush was warm on your cheeks; it had been there since Dave had crouched next to you. You didn't want to admit it but he had a really nice body. Too nice of a body. Too nice of a body for you.

 

He was staring up at the sky, so you did the same. The air was warm and dry, and each gust of wind that blew through your hair persuaded your eyelids to droop a little more. You were tired.

Cut yourself some slack, though, you'd been up on the roof for around two hours. Not only that, being around a shirtless and shadeless Strider was mentally and emotionally exhausting. Especially when you struggle to get out coherent sentences. 

It wasn't until 10:30 that you passed out. That stupidly warm and comfortable gust of wind sealed the deal. You checked out.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

 

You awoke in your bedroom? Wait, what the hell? Why weren't you on the roof? Quickly you scrambled out of bed and stumbled into your bathroom. A headache hit you like a ton of bricks. Probably from getting up so fast.

 

After splashing plenty of cold water on your face, you looked at the mirror. There was a post-it with a message for you on it.

It read:

> “yo  
> you passed out on the roof  
> thought youd flip the fuck out if I woke you  
> you should try and calm down some  
> i wont bite”

You had to flip the post-it to the back side.

> “anyway  
> i put your lizard thing back in its box  
> had to feed the thing so itd stop shrieking  
> how the fuck do you live with that  
> rest of this message is in the kitchen”

To be honest, you didn't know whether you wanted to vomit or shit yourself. Your place was filthy and you had not expected anyone other than you to be in it. The room felt a thousand degrees hotter and you had to lean on the counter to steady yourself.

A few moments passed and you made your way to the kitchen. On the couch was your telescope. You guess he'd taken a second trip to bring that down too.

Still feeling queasy, you poked your head in the fridge for a drink. There was a post-it on a jug of apple juice that was not in your home last night.

> “also  
> i brought your telescope down  
> happened to notice you lacked apple juice  
> i wasnt going through your stuff or anything  
> just needed to cool off”

You flipped the note over.

> “anyway that wrong had to be righted  
> youre welcome in advance  
> cause i know youre not much of a talker  
>  -Dave  
> p.s. turntechGodhead add me on pesterchum”

Wow. You pluck the jug of apple juice out of the fridge to pour yourself a glass. The seal on it was popped; he must have had a cup or two before returning to his room. Retiring to your room sounds nice right now.

 

Coppertongue, your eighteen inch beardie, was on the bed next to you. When faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to add Dave, you went to message your friend Jade. She mentioned once that she was good friends with him.

 

\-- sketchingStardust [SS] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] at 10:05 --

SS: ()_))__)> Jade! I need help!  
GG: hi! what do you need help with?  
SS: ()_))__)> Dave. Things happened last night..   
SS: ()_))__)>But not those type of things!   
SS: ()_))__)> I meant like, complicated things..  
GG: :o what happened?  
SS: ()_))__)> I was up on the roof as usual, right? I was singing and I guess he heard me.. So he comes up to the roof and he's shirtless and without his shades! I had a small meltdown.. or panic attack..   
GG: that sounds embarrassing :c  
SS: ()_))__)> It was.. I was hiding from him. He found me and then I found out he lived in the room below mine..   
SS: ()_))__)> I kind of ignored him cause I was scared to talk to him and then I fell asleep!   
SS: ()_))__)> But when I woke up this morning I was in bed and all the stuff I had out on the roof was put back. He left a bunch of notes and his pesterchum username. He wants me to add him, should I do it?   
GG: yes you should!  
GG: dave is nice, you shouldnt be afraid of him  
GG: he can be a bit confusing at times though :/  
GG: i think he likes you  
SS: ()_))__)> w h a t ? !  
SS: ()_))__)> Wait, what kind of “like”?  
GG: im.. not sure :\  
GG: thats what i meant by confusing!  
GG: you can read him a million different ways!  
SS: ()_))__)> o h . . . Well, does he usually go around without his shades?  
GG: no  
GG: in fact, now that i think about it, i havent seen him without his shades in a long time! :o  
GG: i dont think anyone has in a while ;)  
SS: ()_))__)> o h m y . . .  
GG: ____! do you like him?  
SS: ()_))__)> What? um..  
SS: ()_))__)> No.. I haven't really thought about it..  
SS: ()_))__)> I've only known him for a month!  
GG: well think about it silly  
GG: and keep your chin up! :D  
SS: ()_))__)> Okay.. I'll add him.  
SS: ()_))__)> Thanks for the help  
GG: no problem X)

\-- sketchingStardust [SS] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG] at 10:27 –

 

Well this was it. There's no going back. You sent Dave a chum request, and it was accepted almost immediately. He didn't message you though, only accepted the request. 

Maybe he was busy. Perhaps he forgot he added you? No, no one was that forgetful. He was probably waiting for you the conversation. Should you start the conversation? Was there a conversation to start? You did have to thank him for feeding Lemonsnout and bringing your telescope down. And for putting you in bed. And for getting you apple juice. 

You were mulling this over when your computer chimed. A shiver ran down your spine and your blood went cold.

 

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering sketchingStardust [SS] at 20:18 --

TG: sup  
SS: ()_))__)> I'm s o o o o o so sorry for last night.  
SS: ()_))__)> You surprised me and scared me and I was like “ s h i t ! “  
SS: ()_))__)> And thanks for the.. uh  
SS: ()_))__)> you know.  
TG: woah  
TG: look who finally got her voice  
TG: it was the miracle juice wasnt it  
SS: ()_))__)> You say that as if I didn't have one before  
SS: ()_))__)> I've always had one. It's just a bit... underdeveloped  
SS: ()_))__)> At least, it is when random shirtless boys show up uninvited to the roof of your apartment building  
TG: what   
TG: were my nipples too much for you  
TG: i thought girls liked that bullshit  
SS: ()_))__)> I draw nipples on a near daily basis, so no. Sorry.  
SS: ()_))__)> What are you doing down there, I can hear it from up here.   
TG: mixing my sick beats with some delirious flow.  
TG: why  
TG: do you want to join me?  
TG: nm  
TG: going to my place might be too much for you  
SS: ()_))__)> Is that a challenge? I could if I wanted to.  
TG: dont want you to freak out or anything  
TG: and maybe it is  
TG: its your call  
SS: ()_))__)> I'm not any good with music. Wouldn't wanna fuck shit up  
TG: didnt sound like that last night  
SS: ()_))__)> Well, one: it's not last night  
SS: ()_))__)> two: I wouldn't be alone  
SS: ()_))__)> three: my voice sucks and the most I can do is shit out Mary Had a Little Lamb on my recorder  
TG: it just  
TG: needs some work  
TG: if you decide to come over bring your recorder  
TG: we can make some pretty awesome tunes   
TG: could go from rags to riches  
TG: be on americas got talent and make the judges cry with our pulchritudinous recorder duet  
TG: end the act with a ridiculously slick beat-boxing solo  
TG: the crowd will scream  
TG: begging for their ears to be fucked with our raging musical boners

Try as you might to stay quiet, you can't help but laugh. This guy was bonkers. You hope he can't hear you through the floor.

SS: ()_))__)> Why do they have to be musical boners?  
SS: ()_))__)> Can't we just go down and fuck them individually with our instruments?  
SS: ()_))__)> I'd imagine it'd be much more fulfilling   
TG: i like the way you think  
SS: ()_))__)> You've started to persuade me. Do you have any food?  
TG: yeah  
TG: i could cook some puppet dong  
TG: we have roasted horseshit from a few days ago  
TG: or i could just order a pizza  
SS: ()_))__)> I'm sold  
SS: ()_))__)> Be over in 30

\-- sketchingStardust [SS] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 20:31 –

 

You got up and headed for your bathroom, iPod in hand. You were so thrilled, you might just sing in the shower.


	4. Chapter 4

Reader x Dave Strider  
Chapter 4

 

Aah, that nice little jam session in the shower. It was perfect for the most part, and you wished it would've lasted forever. The only problem? You didn't know if any of the tenants around you could hear you singing off key, especially Strider. 

Though the shower was rejuvenating, you had to pack your bag. It was a simple canvas messenger bag, with two leather straps. The silver buckles had dulled, but you thought that gave it some character. On it were buttons of all your favorite fandoms, music, and animals. 

In it was your sketchbook- you took it everywhere. Some mechanical pencils and the recorder joined it. To be honest, you weren't completely sure that Dave actually meant for you to bring the recorder to his place. You were going to anyway, just in case. Other than that was your cellphone, iPod, and ear buds. Oh, and a bag of Twizzlers. You loved those things.

 

Finally you glanced around; your bag was packed and you were right on time. You slipped your bag on and looked in the mirror. The outfit you had on wasn't too flashy and was comfortable. Black shorts with paint splattered on them, and a matching T-shirt.

You couldn't wait to chill with Dave Strider.

However, this caught up to you as you were chilling in the elevator.. a bit prematurely.

 

How could this go well for you? Honestly, you had not hung out with anyone outside of school for a few months. Now, suddenly, you think you can just waltz into his home and be fly as hell? 

Your finger was shaking as your pressed the button for floor 13.

 

Not only that, he was probably home alone of all things. He probably picked today because his 'bro' had to work or something. What if he was only trying to get in your pants? This could be a part of the ploy from the previous night. The one to humiliate you.

Your heart was racing and your blood started to go cold as the elevator started to descend.

 

Now that you think about it, you realize that things could have gone on last night that you didn't know about. He could have stolen some of your panties, or felt you up, or.. worse. No, you were not about to go down that thought road right now. Jade said he was nice; He couldn't have done something like that. 

Your stomach did flips as the elevator doors slid open.

 

The social skills you needed to handle a situation like this were absent. You could barely hold a decent conversation with him last night, and you made the stupid, stupid, s t u p i d decision to go to his place and hang out for how long? Presumably long enough for lunch.

Your feet led you to his apartment door.

 

It couldn't be that hard could it? He, hopefully, wouldn't be shirtless this time around. And you were well aware he would be there. You had to put on your big girl panties some time soon. You had to learn how to get over some things that you were really scared to do.

You raised your hand, about to knock on his door.

 

Confidence. That's what you needed. Pretend like you're the hottest pepper on earth. The sauciest thing since ketchup. The coldest thing since the north pole. It's not like any of that was true, you just had to pretend to believe it for what.. 3 or 4 hours? Not hard.. No, it was harder than hard.

You stepped back and leaned against the wall, retracting your hand and hoping he couldn't spot your feet from under the door.

 

Wait, you could always back out. You had a plethora of excuses at your fingertips. It's not like he would be able to tell you were lying, right? You've done it to your other 'friends' before, that's why you haven't hung out with anyone. People, no, social interaction, was pretty taxing. Too taxing. 

You bounced on your toes for a while before heading back to the elevator, eyes on your feet.

 

Yes. That is what you were going to do. It didn't matter if he was a hot, popular guy. No, no it didn't. You were going to treat him just the same. You didn't even really like him anyway. Just his cologne. His sweet, sweet cologne...

You stopped in front of the elevator doors and scrutinized the designs in the carpet.

No, don't think about his cologne. It's a trap. You're gonna wanna go back over there and knock on that door, just to smell his stupid, stupid, s t u p i d cologne? You'd be an idiot if you did that. You have better things to do. You didn't need anybody. People hurt.

You had to face the facts. You weren't cut out for this. Your palms were sweating and you throat was tight and your blood was cold and you were shivering all over and you were starting to feel a little bit dizzy. This was too big of a start for you. Maybe you should try hanging out with someone who was less male and less popular first.

The elevator doors slid open and you tried to step inside. Your bumped into someone.

That someone was probably Dave.

It was Dave. Ugh.

 

 

My shit hit the fan. See, when I put all her stuff back last night, I had given her my last jug of apple juice. Who the fuck lives without apple juice? It was a sin to lack that stuff in your fridge. Anyway, I had to run to the store to restock and get something to eat. 

I thought it wouldn't be a fucking problem, but my bro wanted to strife with me on my way to the elevator. No challenge by him would ever be declined. But, I forgot I only had one of my hilariously shitty swords on me. I got my ass handed to me and lost ten minutes of my life, damn.

I was like fifteen minutes late, and I had to fuckin hold all the shit I got from the store because my bro slashed the bags open. I should have seen that coming. 

 

So at this point I was in the elevator, arms full of groceries, and about to prepare myself for the coolest of the least cool entrances in my life, when I bump into her.

I had dropped some of the shit in my hands and naturally, she started to freak.

“Dave! Holy shit! I am so sorry! I wasn't paying attention at all and I didn't see you, I a-” She started picking up the stuff I dropped when I cut her off.

“No, no it's fine, Jesus. Don't pick that stuff up, I got it. Sorry I'm late. I had to go out.”

“You weren't at your place?” She sounded surprised. Didn't she figure that out when no one answered the door?

“No, I wasn't. Cool people need to run errands to.” I was forced to smirk to redeem the cool in this situation. And to make her not freak out.

“Oh.. Well, um.. Let me help you!” She quickly swiped all the groceries out of my hands and started walking away. She was probably hella blushing. This chick was so easy to read, it was almost sad.

“My room is in the other direction.” God, she was a klutz. Probably because she was flustered, hot damn.

This girl, she fuckin whimpered. I mean come on, how cute is that shit? She whimpered like a lost puppy before stumbling and turning around to hurry in the right direction. It was barely audible, but I heard it.

“You might wanna slow down. You need me to get inside. Unless you're planning to bust down the door in an ineffably stunning demonstration of complete badassery or something. That's aight too.”

 

On my way over to her, I picked up some of the stuff I dropped. She was hiding her face behind a mountain of snacks. I raised a brow then turned and opened the door.

“Welcome to the land of puppet ass.”

 

At first you didn't know what he meant. You didn't really care at this point, because you managed to totally embarrass yourself again. It was a stoke of luck that you had these treats to hide behind. You'd take an eye full of apple fruit snacks over Dave anyway.

He let you in first, which made you extraordinarily nervous. You could only see to your sides, but just barely. Instead of setting the snacks down you just stand in his living room awkwardly. 

You haven't been in a house other than yours for a while now. It was kind of weird. Smelled like apples and stuffed animals. And pizza. Wait, why do you know what stuffed animals smell like?

 

Anyhow, just as you were trying to remember when you first smelled the strong scent of plush pelvis, Dave put his hand on your back and pushed you a little bit. Not one of those hard 'get out of the fucking way you dipshit' pushes. 

“Come on.” You started walking in the direction he was pushing in the direction he was pushing you. This was getting weirder by the minute.

It felt like he was pushing you, yes, but it felt kind of choppy. Not like one solid push, but many tinier ones. You could also hear the sound of a bunch of plush toys being tossed together. The plush part was assumed because they didn't make as loud of a sound when they landed. 

Instead of getting overly curious you decided to let it slide. He couldn't be that fast, could he? Nah.

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

 

The past hour wasn't as bad as you assumed it would be. You wondered why you were even scared in the first place.

Basically, after you deposited the snack raid on Dave's bed, he led you back to his living room. That was surprise number one. Either he or his brother had a fuck ton of naked puppet things. What were they called, smuppets? You didn't care. It was still really weird though. 

 

He plugged in one of his bro's game systems and sat on the futon across from the TV. It took him 20 minutes alone just to convince you to sit down; you were still reeling from bumping into him in the hallway. After that, though, the ball started to roll.

Dave ordered the pizza before continuing his game. You just watched, though. It's not like you knew how to play. Older games were more of your style. In the end, you sunk into his couch and just turned invisible for a while.

The pizza came 20 minutes later. 20 minutes too late for you. Stuffing your face was a favored pastime. No one could talk if they were eating! But, you did tend to get a bit more loose with a can of your favored soda. (hint: the word “bit” is an understatement.)

 

You were eating in his room because he didn't want his brother busting in on you and freaking out. That was surprisingly thoughtful. Maybe because he didn't want to deal with another of your meltdowns. Smart choice.

Anyway, you had finished your two slices. That was it for you, you didn't want him thinking you were a fat-ass. He was going at it though; he ate four. 

When he was working on his third, you sneaked a piece of pepperoni off his pizza and into your mouth. You didn't know why you did it. You just did, on impulse. He peeked over his shades and gave you a look.

 

You had started a challenge, and it was accepted.

 

At that point, your second slice was untouched. He managed to pick two of the pepperoni pieces off and eat them. Oh no he didn't! Your blood was starting to boil and a blush rolled across your cheeks. You weren't going to let him get off so easy.

The first move you made was to take the slice he was working on, then take a big sloppy bite out of the crust. While you chewed, you gave him the sassiest look you could muster.

In retaliation, instead of taking the virgin-bite out of your slice, he took off his shades and hung them on the collar of his shirt. Then, he slowly picked up his slice and examined where you bit it. What's his deal?

Okay, you kind of wished you didn't ask yourself that. 

He took a slow, deliberate bite right where you bit it. Not only that, but he locked eyes with you while taking the bite, and gave you the most seductive gaze of your existence. You thought you were going to die right there. You thought people couldn't look that hot while eating pizza!

 

There was no time for doubts. You had to get the upper hand in this. Quickly, you reached for his slice and took a bite at the proper end, the one he was originally eating off of. You were going to have to use the oldest trick in the book. As you were taking said bite, you carefully used your tongue to flick a stray piece of pepperoni off the slice and right down your shirt.

“Oopsies!” His jaw slackened a bit, his eyes wide and struggling to stay on your face. You had him right where you wanted him. 

You daintily placed his slice back in his hands and started digging for the lost piece in your bra. You were blessed with decent goodies and now was your chance to get back at him for the roof indecent. Perfect.

Initiating phase two of your plan, you pulled your hand out of your shirt, pepperoni piece in tow. When you started to nibble on the piece, you knew It was your turn to lock eyes with him. You sent him a look that equal to, if not greater than his in lasciviousness.

...It took most of your willpower not to laugh when you noticed his face. He starting to blush, and his trademark straight face was a ghost of its former self.

He slipped on his shades after recovering from his stupor.

“Well played.”

You both finished eating in silence. You could cut the sexual tension in the air with a blade, if you really wanted to. You did.

 

For once in your life, you decided to take the initiative. Tired from your place on his floor, you got up and poked around his room for a bit. The walls were covered in bands and rappers you didn't know, and his desk was just plywood on cinder blocks. How creative. There was a bookshelf full of preserved dead things, interesting. Audio equipment was scattered throughout as well.

Your feet stopped at one particular stack of cinder blocks. On it was a blue sampler. He stopped you before you touched it.

“Someone's eager. You only get to play with that when you show me those recorder skills.”

Why did he have to remember?


End file.
